Davis told CTV Vancouver they spotted a pod of about 10 transient killer whales in the distance, and he says he’s certain the friendly humpbacks were intent on avoiding an interaction with the other whales.

Many of Davis’ passengers have never seen a whale up close before, which made Saturday’s trip all the more magical. “It’s a bit of a spiritual occasion,” Davis said of the encounter. “It puts us in our place a little bit.”

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Some of Davis’ customers shared their videos of the magic moment, too. Melanie Hooker writes that the whales gave the tour “a rare close up encounter for our entertainment,” adding that the pair of humpbacks “spent about 45 minutes with us playing around the boat…it was amazing.”

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“Couldn’t ask for a better way to spend a Saturday!” said YouTube poster Eric Bombardier of his experience. He posted a set of videos of the tour, too.